This invention relates generally to a carton for shipping and storage as well as support and display of a product in the carton, including a packaged food product. More particularly, this invention relates to a carton, carton blank and method of forming a carton which, in a first configuration, facilitates shipping and storage of products positioned within the carton and, in a second configuration, facilitates support and display of the products for consumer purchase.
Cartons generally, including paperboard cartons or boxes, have been used for many years to transport and store individual products including, for example, packaged food products such as cereals, snack foods, dried fruit products, etc. Several individually packaged products are generally packed within a single paperboard box which is provided with a removable portion which is initially mated to the remainder of the box for shipping and/or storage. The products are generally transported within the closed or sealed carton from a manufacturing facility to a place of retail sale. To present the products for retail sale, store personnel must first remove the lid or open the sealed top, remove each individual product from the box, properly position each individually product on available display shelves, and finally discard the box. Thus, transporting products from a manufacturing facility to a storage location and then to a display location using conventional paperboard cartons or boxes is a labor-intensive process.
To address at least some of these inefficiencies, commonly a shipping/storage carton is also used to display the products therein for retail sale. After the carton is shipped, it is opened and the products loaded therein can be positioned in a display stand portion of the carton at a display location. However, after the carton is shipped and opened, the contents have often shifted and appear disorganized. After it is opened, many prior art cartons no longer provide adequate support for the products. For example, if the products are packaged as individual bags or soft-side packages, the carton does not provide adequate support for the packaged products. The packaged products, therefore, can easily fall or shift. Consequently, after the carton is opened and positioned in a display location, the products loaded therein are disorganized which results in a product display which is generally disorganized, unappealing and unattractive to a consumer. Store personnel must re-organize and arrange the products which is very labor intensive and inefficient.
Accordingly, a need exists for a carton which facilitates shipping and storage of a products as well as support and proper display of the products for consumer purchase, distribution or display.